Kendall K: Pittsburgh Senior Photos, Hartwood Acres Mansion

Comment

Kendall K: Pittsburgh Senior Photos, Hartwood Acres Mansion

Meet Kendall!

Kendall is an incoming Pine Richland senior with the class of 2025! She loves reading, science, and true crime documentaries. She brought a book to her senior session as a nod towards her love for reading!

Also, can we get a moment for her shirt with the puff sleeves?! It was such a perfect choice for Hartwood Acres Mansion! And of course, her white dress is adorable too!

Congratulations on your upcoming senior year, Kendall!

Comment

Shady Elms Farm Family Photos

Comment

Shady Elms Farm Family Photos

If you've been following my account for a while, you might recognize this sweet couple that I've photographed in the past. Well... their family has expanded to include a sweet little girl!

We took some photos to celebrate her upcoming birthday at the beautiful Shady Elms Farm… a beautiful wedding venue in Hickory, PA. They allow photo sessions to take place there for a small fee per hour (pending availability), which ended up working out so well for this family who lives close by!

We did catch a downpour part of the way through our session, but we were still able to get lots of beautiful images to celebrate this little one!

Cierra & Hunter - thank you for the honor of photographing your sweet family!!!

Comment

Surprise Pittsburgh Proposal at Phipp's Conservatory

Comment

Surprise Pittsburgh Proposal at Phipp's Conservatory

I hope you get a feel for how fun these two are from this blog post… this surprise Pittsburgh proposal was an absolute BLAST to photograph!

Alec had been planning to surprise his girlfriend, Sri, with a marriage proposal during their trip to Pittsburgh (where they both went to college and both had met!). He chose Phipp’s Conservatory as his venue – specifically the Broderie Room (which you can rent out!). This is one of my all time favorite locations for proposals. It’s beautiful, there’s no need to worry about the weather (since it’s indoors and covered!), it has ample natural light, it’s private… there are so many reasons to love it! In fact, this was my fifth Phipp’s proposal this year. And I have loved every single one of them!

But back to Alec & Sri! The staff at Phipp’s was so good at keeping the proposal a surprise. Alec led Sri into the Broderie Room by the hand as I peeked around the corner, waiting for Sri’s back to be towards me so I could sneak into the room. I hid behind a large well and waited for the big moment… for Alec to get on one knee! Once Sri figured out what was going on, she had the biggest smile on her face, and it never left! She was completely taken off guard, which made the moment all the more special.

After the proposal itself, Alec & Sri took a few minutes by themselves to soak in the moment! Then, we took 15 minutes to get some portraits of the two of them to commemorate the occasion.

And even though it was absolutely sweltering in that humid room, they both handled it like absolute champs… and I’m so excited about the images we got for them to cherish from this special moment!

Congratulations on your engagement, Sri & Alec! It was such a pleasure to get to capture this moment for you!


Looking for information about how to reserve the Broderie Room for a Phipp’s Conservatory proposal? Click here for more info for how to get in contact with them!

Comment

Atalya & Chase: Black Tie Wintergarden at PPG Place Wedding Day

1 Comment

Atalya & Chase: Black Tie Wintergarden at PPG Place Wedding Day

This was an incredible day for an incredible couple! Atalya & Chase are one of the kindest, most sincere couples - and their friends and family are just as lovely! This was truly such a joyful day to be a part of from start to finish - a true Pittsburgh wedding day!

Atalya and her bridesmaids began their day at the Pittsburgh Fairmont. This was my first time taking photos here… and I have to say, it was such a beautiful location! You can see so much of downtown from the floor to ceiling windows… including PPG Place, Atalya & Chase’s reception venue!

Chase & his groomsmen got ready at his apartment. Each groomsman was gifted a custom jersey with his last name on the back… such a fun gift!

The ceremony took place at Heinz Chapel, quite possibly one of the most iconic churches in all of Pittsburgh. After family portraits, we were able to sneak in a few photos of Atalya & Chase in some different spots around the interior of the church. And I say “sneak” because Heinz Chapel hosts TONS of weddings, so they run a very tight ship when it comes to timelines… so extra photos in addition to family portraits on the altar are not always possible. But thankfully, we were running a bit ahead of schedule, and there weren’t any other weddings on the books for the rest of the day (love a Friday wedding! 🙌).

One of my favorite moments of this wedding day was when Atalya, Chase, and their bridal party stopped at the place where they had their first date - Lefty's in the Strip District! It was so worth the pit-stop, and such a beautiful way to commemorate the beginning of their relationship to bring things full circle! Their whole bridal party took a shot to celebrate, and off we all went to the reception!

The reception took place at the iconic Wintergarden at PPG Place in the heart of downtown. This was my first wedding here, and I absolutely LOVE this space! There is much natural light. It’s modern, clean, classic, and everything you would want in a wedding venue. And as a bonus… it is walking distance from the Fairmont, where many of their guests were staying!

The reception was full of heartfelt toasts, a huge cookie table, and a killer band (Go Go Gadjet) that kept guests dancing all night and put on an incredible performance!

Atalya and Chase, it was truly such a pleasure to be a part of your day. Congratulations on your marriage!

This beautiful day was made possible by an incredible team of vendors. I have to give a huge shout out to Vanessa from Alyssa Thomas Event Planning & Design, who coordinated the wedding day and kept every detail in place. She was absolutely incredible!

Vendors: Alyssa Thomas, Event Planning & Design, Community Flower Shop, Bridal Beginning Pittsburgh, Go Go Gadjet, Jeremy Scott films, Beacon Lane Wedding Invitations, Antonette Medved Makeup Co, Emma Hathworth (hair), Oakmont Bakery, Wintergarden at PPG Place, Pittsburgh Fairmont, Lefty's

1 Comment

Lauren M: Hartwood Acres Mansion Senior Photos

Comment

Lauren M: Hartwood Acres Mansion Senior Photos

Lauren was a joy to photograph a few weeks ago at Hartwood Mansion! It was toasty & humid, but I'm not sure you would know it from these photos She was such a pro!

Lauren is a life-long dancer - since she was about 3 years old, to be exact! She does lots of different types of dance, and chose to incorporate her pointe shoes into some of her photos! She hopes to go into Psychology and work with children - she loves kids, loves helping people, and loves chit-chatting, making it a perfect fit!

I absolutely LOVE the outfits Lauren chose for her photos! She opted for a short dress, a long dress, and a blouse with white jeans. The variety of her outfits gave us lots of different opportunities for posing and movement!

Congrats Lauren on your senior year!

Comment

Brianna & Andrew: Moraine State Park Engagement Photos

Comment

Brianna & Andrew: Moraine State Park Engagement Photos

Meet Brianna & Andrew!

These two met online! After their first date, they both knew they had found their best friend (Their words, not mine!)

After a few years of dating, Andrew proposed (in March of this year) and of course Brianna said yes!

Last night, we took some photos celebrating their engagement at the beautiful Moraine State Park - a place they frequent with both of their dogs! I love that they chose a location that was meaningful to the two of them... and so beautiful!

We found a GORGEOUS field with absolutely beautiful light… it was magical! And then we finished off our time together closer to the water. I love the area near the water right before/at sunset… the light is always so soft and pretty!

Congratulations on your engagement, Brianna & Andrew! It was such a joy to take these photos for you!

Comment

Hartwood Acres Mansion Summer Family Photos

Comment

Hartwood Acres Mansion Summer Family Photos

I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet family of three - Freya & her parents - on a lovely summer evening at Hartwood Acres Mansion.

I went to school (middle & high school) with Jourdain (Freya's dad). There is something truly wonderful about getting to see people from your past who are thriving in new seasons of life! It truly brought so much joy to my heart to get to see this family thriving as a family of three!

Lauren (Freya's mom) had such a lovely vision for the session - serene, candid, romantic, joyful - and chose beautiful outfits to match the space we were taking photos in, as well as the vibe of the session as a whole! I just adore how these turned out.

Thank you three for letting me capture these sweet, fleeting moments!

Comment

Deidre & Paul: Summer Irons Mill Farmstead Wedding

1 Comment

Deidre & Paul: Summer Irons Mill Farmstead Wedding

Deidre & Paul’s wedding was a BLAST to photograph at one of the most beautiful venues - Irons Mill Farmstead! It's been quite a few years since I've photographed a wedding here, and I was so excited to be back!

Deidre & Paul’s wedding day featured a lavender color palette with lots of greenery - but the most important piece there for them was the people they invited to share the day with them! We took the majority of their portraits prior to the ceremony so they would have time to mingle during cocktail hour and chat with their guests - something that was so important to them!

We couldn't have asked for a more fun day with these two, and with their friends & family - thank you Deidre and Paul for letting us be a part of it!

Vendors: Irons Mill Farmstead, Butterfly Wish Bouquets, Pastries A La Carte, DianaRua Media (DJ), Sin Pretty Beauty Salon, The Exquisite Bride (bride's dress), Medure's Catering

1 Comment

Lindsey & Brody: Butler Private Estate Wedding Photos

Comment

Lindsey & Brody: Butler Private Estate Wedding Photos

What a wedding day! Lindsey & Brody tied the knot in a beautiful garden & floral themed wedding day on Brody's grandfather's property this past weekend, where his parents were also married 26 years ago.

Lindsey & Brody met in middle school and have been together for many years - so this day has been a long time in the making! There were so many beautiful details incorporated into their day, including:

  • Lindsey’s veil, with the couple's initials and wedding date embroidered onto it

  • Lindsey's grandmother's ring, which served as inspiration for her own engagement ring (and served as her something old, borrowed, and blue!)

  • The florals, which included flowers from both Lindsey & Brody's birth months

Aside from all of the special details, this day had a few twists and turns. Honestly, this may have been one of the most eventful weddings I’ve ever photographed! And of course, the couple took all of these in stride. There were storms, power outages, and a fallen cake table (just to name a few - you won’t want to miss the photos we got of that! ;) ), but what really impressed me about Lindsey & Brody is how they kept their focus on water mattered most in the midst of it all.

Because this was such a beautiful and eventful wedding… this blog post is HUGE! There were so many photos that tell the story of the day that I just couldn’t bear to leave out. So get your scrolling finger ready for a workout!

It was truly a privilege to be a part of this wedding day! Thank you Lindsey & Brody for having us!

Vendors: EHWeddingspgh (Coordinator), All About Reclaimed (Florist), Beyond Imagination Films (Video), Soundwaves Entertainment Group (DJ), Prima Capelli Salon (Hair), Sorelle Bridal Salon (Bride's dress), Zazzle (Invitation), Medure's Catering, Ambassador Tent Rentals (various rented pieces), Almost Like Home Restrooms, Walktail Mobile Bar, Chance Kelosky (Officiant)

Comment

Rachel & Boaz: University of Pittsburgh Engagement Photos

1 Comment

Rachel & Boaz: University of Pittsburgh Engagement Photos

Meet Rachel & Boaz!

These two met while attending the University of Pittsburgh through Rachel's roommate, and got to know each other while they were both attending Bellefield Presbyterian Church (in Oakland) during their time at Pitt!

Boaz proposed to Rachel in the church's sanctuary after playing the piano for her... so it's a very special place for them both!

For their engagement session, we, of course, took photos all around Oakland! We started off our time together at Bellefield Presbyterian. It has some gorgeous red doors and beautiful architecture for us to incorporate into their photos! Afterwards, we made our way to some different spots on Pitt's campus. It was the most gorgeous sunny afternoon... and made for the loveliest photos!

Rachel & Boaz, you are the sweetest and I am so excited for your wedding day!

1 Comment